What’s in a Japanese lady’s purse?
In Japan, if you could peek into a lady’s purse, chances are you would find delicate sheets of paper called Aburatorigami. But they have nothing to do with taking notes.
Aburatorigami, literally meaning oil-removal-paper, has been an essential Japanese beauty must-have for centuries. The little secret is that Aburarotigami is not something just to be used by ladies with oily complexion at all. It does a lot more than that, and is used for dry to normal and oily skin for its various skincare and makeup benefits. Among its many benefits, Aburatorigami works exceptionally well to keep the balance of moisture and oil in the skin and prevents skin problems.
History
Here is a bit of historical facts, researched by Akiko Nakai and Mami Nishiyama of University of Kyoto.
The original aburatorigami was born about 1,000 years ago as a by-product of making gold leaf in Kanazawa city by Sea of Japan.
Originally, paper called hakuuchi-gami was used to support delicate gold when a craftsman hammered the gold out into very thin leaf. When Kyoto was the imperial capital (794-1192 AD), the demand was extremely high; gold was used in decorating temples and in providing the emperor and the nobility with high-quality furnishings and crafts. Thus, much hakuuchi-gami was taken to Kyoto as wrapping for delicate gold leaf.
Time went by, and a rumor “Hakuuchi-gami makes you feel just like you’ve taken a bath!” spread throughout Kyoto. People were surprised to see how much oil was absorbed by only a piece of thin paper, which was then thrown away. This was the moment when aburatorigami was born.
Why it Works
Super Smooth & Gentle: The secret of Japanese facial blotting paper (Aburatorigami) is in the exceptional smoothness of the paper and the high absorptive quality of its gentle fibers. Because of its smoothness, Aburatorigami makes near perfect contact with the surface of the skin, without penetrating into its pores. This action allows Aburatorigami to remove the “excess” oil or moisturizer, without drying the skin.
Evens Skin Out: Besides not drying the skin, the other benefit of only removing excess oil or moisturizer is that it leaves the skin smooth. Excess oil or moisturizer makes the surface of the skin uneven, scattering light and creating both dull and shiny zones at the same time. Smooth skin reflects light evenly, making the complexion look not only even but vibrant.
No Rubbing: Aburatorigami is not a facial wipe. You do not rub it around. Makeup is not smudged, and skin is not stretched, creased or otherwise disturbed. Common facial wipes, because of their uneven surface texture, can never make perfect contact with the skin. The only way to use a facial wipe is to rub it on your face around and around, till it gets everything off, “excess” or not. This is how the face ends up dry, makeup gets smudged, sensitive skin gets irritated and skin imperfections stand out.
Benefits for Dry, Normal and Oily Skin
Aburatorigami removes excess oil and perspiration — without smearing makeup or removing moisture from the skin.
It effectively eliminates the need for using chemical based facial products such as complexion oil control foundations and powders which can coat and stress skin.
Aburatorigami is also used for normal to dry skin. It removes excess moisturizer (which exaggerates skin’s fine lines and wrinkles) to create a smooth canvas for applying final makeup.
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